Let me start by saying that the deck these guys built is very sturdy. We have zero complaints about how solid it is.
This was not the cheapest quote we received but they promised to work in tandem with a landscaper we hired to do extensive work. They took a ridiculous amount of time to complete each stage. It was very frustrating. Then we were presented with an additional invoice that included hourly rates for a bit of siliconing and hand digging that needed to be done. I was flabbergasted. It wasn't a lot of money but it was the principle.
The quality of a couple of boards that were used were substandard. We were promised by Adam that he would oversee the quality from the beginning (was in our signed contract). We do understand that pressure treated wood will crack. But one of the main rails was severely gouged in a few places as were a few of the others and one of the other boards was completely cracked even before the final screw was put in. They were able to sand out some of the gouges to our satisfaction but the two boards were too badly damaged to be saved. Had we not pointed this out to Adam, they would have been fine to leave it this way but they did eventually replace them.
Our building permit did not pass as a result of a minor design flaw with the stairs and we were told "for an extra fee" they could fix it for us. They were the ones that created the design. It is our contention that they are the experts and filed all papers with the town and they should be responsible for ensuring that it passed inspection. We decided we would fix it ourselves and have been in discussions with the town to ensure that it passes.
Finally, there was no clean up from the post digging. Their excuse was that the landscapers would take care of it but that was very unfair because this was in areas that the landscaper was not even working. Post-winter, the ground is collapsing around the posts as the ground was not compacted.
My summary is that I would not feel comfortable hiring Bildam again even though we still have fencing, gates and some basement renovations that we would like to have done. Like I said at the beginning, we are very satisfied with the sturdy construction of the deck but they need to take a very close look at their customer service practices and their labour crew.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $15,000.00
- Company Response
Linda,
So sorry to see the low rating, but I'm very glad to hear you're happy with the structure and quality of the deck itself. It is important to me to know that the quality of our work is not in question as we work really hard to make sure we deliver a quality product, but I would like to address a few of your concerns.
I do recognize that a few boards were questionable, but as mentioned, we did replace those for you out of customer service because we had to return to the lumber store and purchase more materials as the material we had on site was what we got upon delivery. With regards to the additional costs, I did notify you guys before the work had started, and said it's not something we've discussed in the original contract as we weren't aware it had to be done until the old deck was removed. However, once we removed the old deck and discovered more work, I explained that we could repair things for a cost if you wanted things fixed properly, and I got back in writing that it was ok to complete for a cost... but when it was complete and I submitted the invoice, you were upset with the "principle" and said I should have offered it free of charge. It should also be mentioned that this charge still has not been paid.
As for the city requests, the inspector who came out openly expressed directly to you that it was a unique situation that even he had never come across before, and the solution to fix it was not something listed under "standard building codes". This was an unforeseen issue, just like if getting a kitchen renovated, and a problem arises behind the walls that's unforeseen, and the city inspector wants corrected... the contractor does not offer this service free of charge. Standard practice is to present options along with costs associated with the repair, and let the customer choose what option they want to do... but a cost is sill applied to do the work as it's not in the original contract.
Lastly, with regards to clean up... I would like to make note that the job site was extremely clean, but the clean up you're referring to is the soil that came out of the ground from the deck foundation. This is something we could have done, and I did explain when I was there that we can do this for a cost, but because landscaping was being completed immediately after we were there, and they already had the proper machines on site, it would be more cost effective to have them complete it (I thought they would have already included it in their costs knowing that a deck was getting built... and perhaps that was a poor assumption)... but again you wanted this service done from us free of charge, so having the landscapers do it wasn't an option (even though would have been less cost then us).
In summary, I wish we could have had another 10 our of 10 rating and a happy customer as I know we offer a great product, and it's unfortunate that a few minor things causes such a drastic decrease in ranking because we did provide the deck you requested and did it well. However, that is the great thing about homestars is that it allows people to speak freely, and exposes the "ins and outs" of the contracting industry... and it is your right to rank us as you wish, and post reviews as you wish (as long as it's not false information). Although it is our responsibility to respond, and I hope people recognize that even though the project took some extra time, guys were on site every day, and the quality was provided (quality can sometimes take longer to provide). I wish you the best with your future projects, and thank you for the review.
Adam